


Lovesick Nik

by DaisyQueenYisel



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Max Swears Too Much For A Ten Year Old, also FUCK MILES LUNA, also Nikki likes Ered its literally a plot point but its not like......a ship fic ya dig, baby lesbians, david is doing His Best, gwen is a good therapist leave her alone, i hate his writing so this is me Writing The Damn Show Myself, it's p much a fan episode, protective best friends is my JAM yall, tw in the notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 23:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11473974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyQueenYisel/pseuds/DaisyQueenYisel
Summary: What a day.





	Lovesick Nik

**Author's Note:**

> I gotta admit this fic has been the most love/passion filled fic ive written in a super long time i love this show so fucking much
> 
> also tw for internalized homophobia/blatant homophobia near the end of this fic soRry
> 
> HUGE thanks to @tiredandjaded for beta-ing my self-indulgent fic I love you so much youre the bestest friend ever thanks for putting up with my shitty anxious ass!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a question Gwen had been itching to ask since Max led that revolt at the beginning of the summer, but knew better than to do so in front of literally every other nosy, intrusive kid in this godforsaken camp. Plus, it wasn't like she was going to be much help if her suspicions were correct; she wasn't exactly the poster child of a good role model that gives good advice.

 

The Adventure Camp for Nikki had just ended, and though most of the camp was trashed in some way or another, the kitchen was on a different level of catastrophe. Even more of a mess, though, was the obvious tension between all of the other campers and Ered, who was apparently no longer a favorite among them after that day’s... incident. Why, however, was completely lost on Gwen. She had been out that day to restock basic toiletries for the camp, and came back to a crying Nikki, an enraged Max and Neil yelling at an annoyed Ered, who was behind what was the closest she had ever seen to an angry David (though he didn't seem mad at Max?)and the rest of the campers trying to comfort Nikki in their own weird ways. After five minutes of yelling, separating kids, and exasperated sighing, the most she could get out of David was a “Uh, we should probably discuss it out of reach of the kid’s ears. It's a bit of a... sensitive topic.” By the time dinner was forced onto the kids, the Quartermaster was nowhere to be found (of course), so she took the first opportunity she could to get away from David and the campers by saying she was going to clean. But of course, David couldn't take a hint.

 

“Wow, that's very thoughtful of you, Gwen!” David said, looking genuinely thankful for her offer. He turned to the children with one of his eternally cheerful smiles. “Would any of you fellow campers like to help Gwen out? I'm sure it'd be a fun experience to have some one-on-one time with one of your favorite counselors!”

 

“David, there are literally only two of you,” Max groaned, which David waved off with a laugh.

 

A hand raised in the air, waving slightly for attention.

 

“Um, I wanna help!” Nikki said, flapping her hand.

 

Gwen raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, but crossed her arms nonetheless as she scowled at David, who was blissfully unaware of his coworker glaring daggers at him.

 

Max and Neil looked at their friend in confusion, and frantically exchanged looks before hesitantly raising their hands along with her. Nikki gently pushed their hands down.

 

“Just me, guys.”

 

“Um-?” Neil said, unsure of what to say in response. Max just shrugged helplessly and sighed.

 

“Just scream or something if you're about to die, or get us if Ered tries apologizing-I’ll get Neil to shoot some kind of Roman Candle shit at her.”

 

Neil snorted as Nikki laughed and waved to her friends to which Neil waved back, and Max simply nodded. David clapped a hand over his heart at the display of friendship, causing Max to scowl and slouch, looking away in slight embarrassment as Neil rolled his eyes.

 

As Gwen was scrubbing some plates covered in charred goop, Nikki bound over with a terrifyingly unstable stack of plates and set them down on the counter with a thud.  Gwen reached over and put a hand on top of the pile casually, stilling the reverberating dishes (and her fear of broken plates). She set down the clean plate in her other hand in it's rack and pushed the plates sticking out in.

 

“Thanks, Nikki,” Gwen said, struggling to move the stack. “Jesus, though, you carried these over as if it _didn't_ weigh like, a hundred pounds. What a champ.”

 

Nikki grinned widely, before shrugging with a not-so-secret smile. “No big deal. I used to stack all of my sister’s dogs in my arms so that I could freak her out, and I guess it was like working out my biceps or something.”

 

Gwen snorted and look at her in bewilderment. “What the hell?”

 

“Yeah. They were baby pitbulls, too, so that was always fun!”

 

Gwen sighed and shook her head, though she had a smile on her face. Nikki walked over the closed serving station and pulled herself into the counter, swinging her feet. She watched Gwen reach over to grab a plate from the dirty stack, carefully and cautiously carrying out the tedious work, and blew a stray curl from her face nonchalantly. She traced the outlines of the rocks embedded on the counter beneath her.

 

“Hey, Gwen? I think I'm a lesbian.”

 

The stack of plates suddenly clattered all over the counter with a crash, Gwen scrambling to keep plates from hitting the floor. After twenty seconds of panic, Gwen cleared her throat, and glanced at a completely calm Nikki, who was still swinging her legs below the counter and looking at her expectantly.

 

“Um...can I just assume this has to do with why Max and Neil wanted to murder Ered today?”

 

Nikki sighed, slumping over a bit and resting her chin on her hands. “Yeah.”

 

While she drew in a sharp breath, Gwen internally freaked out. She knew Nikki wanted her to talk to her about it, though why she would, and _how_ she knew Gwen was someone to go to for this was lost on her. Well, maybe it wasn’t a total mystery... she wasn’t exactly the most subtle whenever the cute health inspector from town or an occasional lost college girl happened to stop by the camp- but she was shit at talking in general. But looking at Nikki, cheeks squished in her hands and eyes somber and threatening to water, she knew she had to say something.

 

“Well, uh, first, tell me what happened today. If it has to do with this... _revelation,_ I guess.” Gwen finally said as she wiped her hands on a nearby towel.

 

Nikki looked at up her hopefully, and flashed her a wavering smile. She sat back on the counter, her hands flat on the cheap stone material.

 

“Okay, so we had Adventure Camp today, right?”

 

~

 

David had set up a variety of challenges for Nikki, doing his best to make safe, yet exciting activities to keep her occupied. He strolled over to the camps as he wiped his forehead, having finished a decent obstacle course as a final activity. He smiled excitedly as he clapped his hands together once he reached the camper’s tents.

 

“ _Good_ morning, campers, and Campe Diem! It's time to rise and shine, because the sun is bright, and your breakfast is hot!”

 

As usual, the children griped and complained as they stumbled out of the camp half-asleep, which made David shake his head affectionately. It was like raising a bunch of kids of his own, but just for a summer full of fun, he couldn't help but love the little rascals.

 

“I had the craziest dream, guys,” Space Kid said as the rest of the campers joined their counselor. “I dreamt that NASA reinstated Pluto as a planet!”

 

“In your wet dreams!” Neil called out from inside his tent.

 

“I found the other elf ear!” Nerris declared ecstatically, posing outside her tent with pride. Harrison rolled his eyes and laughed.

 

“How can elves lose their ears if they were _really_ elves? You have to be born with them, not sew them on like some silly kid.”

 

“Not everyone is born the same, Harrison. Don't be so insensitive. You should know, having been born without a _brain_.”

 

Harrison stifled a laugh, but inevitably, both kids burst into laughter. Their rivalry had become something of a friendly, teasing friendship, which warmed David's heart. Preston rolled his eyes and instinctively took two steps away from a grouchy Nurf, who was followed by Ered and Dolf.

 

“Today reminds me of _A Midsummer Night’s Dream!”_  Miraculous, mystical, marvelous!"Preston cried dramatically, holding a hand to his forehead.

 

“And unrealistically magical?” Harrison asked flatly.

 

“Exactly! Are you a secret lover of the Bard, too?”

 

It seemed like a peaceful morning, which everyone happened to enjoy for the moment without realizing the improbability of such serenity. Nothing seemed to disturb the peace, as if some key element in Camp Campbell _brought_ chaos with it

 

Finally, Max walked out of his tent warily, followed by his groggy best friends, and eyed David suspiciously.

 

“...You let us sleep in.”

 

David laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yes, well, it's a little hard to prepare a huge awesome adventure course without knowing you guys will be pretty beat afterwards, so I thought a few extra hours would be just the ticket to give you an energy boost!”

 

Max scrunched up his nose, looking slightly incredulous. “That--that actually makes sense? I didn't know you were capable of common sense and critical thinking, but here you are, surprising everyone with your basic evolutionary skills.” He sniffed once, then shoved his hands into his pockets as he gave David a sudden unimpressed look. “Unless you just forgot to wake us up. In which case: nice going, dumbass.”

 

Neil squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his arm, standing up straight. “Is this what it feels like to have a good night's sleep? I don't remember what a morning without the distinct sensation of sleep deprivation feels like anymore.”

 

Nikki yawned quietly next to the two, scratching under her arm until she froze, andslowly gazed up at David, an expecting smile creeping onto her face.

 

“Wait. Did you just say 'adventure course?’ As in, it's time for _adventure camp?_ ”

 

Max sighed. “Shit. Today's the day we all get murdered in a Nikki-induced disaster." He shrugged resignedly. "Well, can't say I didn't see it coming.”

 

Neil clasped his hands together and pirouetted on his heel. “And now is when I make my escape.”

 

Max hastily followed suit, but before either of them could get anywhere,  Nikki grabbed the collars of their clothing and yanked them back, her grin and excitement never faltering.

 

“That's right, campers!” David announced with a swing of his arm. “Today, we're going to find the adventurer in all of us, and have the best gosh-darn day ever!”

 

Nikki screamed in delight, jumping around in circles as she let her friends loose from her grasp. Max crossed his arms and smiled for a split second at the sight of his jubilant friend, before quickly scowling at David.

 

“Where's Gwen? You usually can’t do shit without her, and she _knows_ you can’t do shit without her. She run out of shitty magazines to feel insecure over or something?”

 

“Gwen is doing us the favor of getting supplies to restock, so she'll be gone for most of the day. Try not to miss her too much!” David explained as he waved the kids over for breakfast. Nikki hopped behind him, hyped for the day to unfold. She chatted with her friends during meal time, Neil correcting her when needed, Max chipping in with a sarcastic remark now and then, and both laughing whenever she made an obviously bad joke. Once the meal was over, everyone was in such a good mood that no one even noticed David tie two of whoever were close to each other's legs together with a conspiring, creepy giggle.

 

Max moved forward to place a hand on Nikki's shoulder as he prepared a condescending remark, and yelped as he nearly face-planted on the ground. He whipped his head around to find himself tied to Neil, who looked at their sudden bond in bewilderment.

 

David giggled as he stood up straight, his hands behind his back as he failed to stifle his laughter.

 

“What the fuck?” Max exclaimed angrily as the rest of the kids messed around with their tied legs. Everyone except a very confused, but still very excited Nikki.

 

“Our adventure today is going to be one of friendship!” David exclaimed. “As we go through our activities, you'll be able to strengthen your bond with one of your fellow campers, and hopefully make some wonderful memories to last you a lifetime!”

 

“Really? You're gonna pull a goddamn ‘the adventure is the friends you made along the way’ on us?” Neil asked flatly as he flicked away a leaf that was lodged in Max’s sweater. Max scoffed and looked at Neil incredulously, to which Neil just nodded in agreement. David just smiled to himself and turned to face Nikki, who was tugging on his shirt.

 

“Um, why don't I have a partner?”

 

“Well, Nikki, you weren't standing near someone who wasn't paired already, and because I know you’ve really tried your hardest to be her friend, we're just waiting for Ered to finish up eating, because she'll be with you all day!”

 

“Eri-She’s gonna-Ered’s my partner?” Nikki squeaked. An obvious blush covered her face, and she hurriedly brushed the dirt off her face. Max snickered as Neil fluttered his eyes at her mockingly, and Nikki crossed her arms defensively and stuck her tongue out at them. David put his hands on his hips and grinned.

 

“Of course! It's your day, after all. It's my duty to make sure my campers have the _best_ summer ever,” David said with a knowing lilt. He winked at her, and Nikki flushed even more, squeezing her arms to her chest.

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

“Hey, dudes. What we like, doing today?” Ered greeted as she pushed open the double doors of the mess hall. David suddenly tossed a rope at Max’s face, who floundered as he fumbled to catch it. Though he sneered at it's delivery, Max understood the gesture and quickly tied Nikki's leg to Ered’s as she walked by.

 

“What’s this for?” Ered asked in slight confusion as Nikki did her best to lean away from the very short distance between her and Ered. Either girl could easily have stopped Max, but before the thought could occur, David clapped a hand on Ered's shoulder.

 

“Adventure Camp! Now, let's start the three-legged race!” David announced with a smile, and jogged over to the finish line he had set up.

 

“Of-fucking-course,” Max muttered under his breath. He slapped his forehead as the rest of the kids chattered excitedly. “The hell else would we do?”

 

The race went as well as a group of non-athletically inclined children participating in it could. Max and Neil simply strolled along, complaining/conversing about the stupidity of the race, Nerris and Harrison were arguing about the most effective way to teleport to the finish line, Nurf simply dragged a frantic Preston towards the end, and Space Kid just kept chasing butterflies away from Dolph, who was simply marching forward so slow they stayed in the same spot.

 

Ered and Nikki, however, were a different story. With a glance and determined smile at Nikki, Ered nodded her head towards the finish line.

 

“Ready to kick ass with me today?”

 

“Yes! I mean sure-No, yeah-I mean, hell yeah!”

 

“Then let's go, dude!” Ered shouted, and they both took off as Nikki whooped and shouted the whole way there. Max and Neil watched them run by, and exchanged a knowing glance.

 

“Does she just choose to ignore the fact that Ered fucking admitted to using her to do what she wanted before?”

 

“I don't know, man. Nikki's Nikki. I mean, she still thinks babies are made with _'magic pumpkin seeds’._ Naivety at its finest.”

 

“Well, she's got the seed part right. Not really magic, though-Just easy to come by,” Max joked wryly, causing Neil to snicker.

 

“Careful, girls! Don't trip!” David called out as the duo sped through the finish line streamer. They jumped up in victory, and Ered lifted Nikki into a hug.

 

“Yeah, Cool Girlz: One, Loserz: Zero!” Ered cheered, accenting the "S" to sound like a "Z" for added effect. Nikki simply laughed along, cheeks turning red as she hugged back. David clapped his hands together and smiled wider.

 

“Nice job, little ladies. Onto our next adventure!”

 

The next one was instantly recognizable; three clean cut logs floated in Lake Lilac's shore, and David, who had procured a small Camp Campbell flag, waved it rapidly and shouted, “Let's get this game _rolling,_ campers!”

 

“Shut the fuck up, David,” Max called out from the dock in his swimming trunks, and promptly flipped him off as he leaned off the dock(and dragged a startled Neil along) into the water. Everyone else followed suit, except Nikki and Ered, who had immediately changed and ran into the lake, beginning their swim towards the logs at the sight of them.

 

Everyone struggled to stay on, but eventually gave up on balancing and simply began to play and swim in the lake. The only two pairs of partners left were Max and Neil, and Nikki and Ered. Or, as they called themselves (much to David's dismay), Team “Fuck You” and Team "Cool Girlz".

 

“Give it up, Nikki!” Max shouted as Neil squawked and flailed on the log next to him. “You know I'm more of a stubborn asshole than you'll ever be!”

 

Nikki shook her head with a manic grin as she rolled her feet on the log in a simultaneous pattern with Ered “No can do, Maxy! Today's the day you get _pulverized!”_

 

 _“Max, we're going to fucking drown!”_ Neil shrieked, starting to lose his balance. Max looked at him in a panic, and rushed to think of something to say that would throw Nikki off. He glanced to Ered, who was still wearing her leather jacket over her swimsuit, and a cruel smile spread over his face.

 

“Ered, your jacket’s gonna get soaked if we fall next to you! Wouldn't want that, would we?” Max shouted, yanking Neil's arm to steady him. Nikki looked at him suspiciously as Ered clicked her tongue, unzipping the jacket and tossing it over to the pier.

 

“I don't know what your angle is, loser, but thanks, I guess.”

 

Nikki flushed at the sight of Ered in her swimsuit, turning away to avoid becoming distracted, and misstepped on the log. She fell forward, and Max and Neil looked in anticipation to watch her hit the water.

 

“Whoa, dude!” Erin laughed, pulling Nikki in by her stomach and pulling her back up without losing her balance. “That was like, super close!”

 

“Uh-Yeah, t-too close!” Nikki agreed with an obvious strain her voice as her legs met Ered's bare skin. Ered laughed and helped her stand up straight on the log, and the two began to pace in rhythm once again.

 

“Aw, come on!” Neil shouted, throwing up his arms in the air in frustration. His balance was promptly thrown off by his outburst, and Max and Neil hit the surface of the lake with a scream and splash.

 

“HA!” Nikki shouted in victory, which was short-lived because the sudden motion made _Ered_ lose balance. They crashed into the water, and came up laughing raucously as David waved his flag again with pride.

 

“Good job, girls! Wow, you two are quite the duo!”

 

Max smacked the side of his head to get some water out of his ear. “Yeah, a true power couple.” He sighed, squinting as Ered and Nikki fistbumped happily. He dropped his voice low and muttered, “I miss our comedy trio.”

 

Neil's mouth fell open slightly in surprise, before closing it and looking away to think of something to say, before Max interjected.

 

“Don't tell Nikki _or_ David I said that. I'm delirious from UV ray exposure or some bullshit.”

 

Neil rolled his eyes and took a step forward, forcing Max to move along.

 

“Yeah, _okay_.”

 

Predator and Prey was next, which was essentially hide and seek, but instead of moving to find people, you pointed out who wasn't hiding very well. Trying to hide two people at once doubled the difficulty of the game. Ered and Nikki took advantage of this as much as they could. Ered found the best hiding spots to comfortably hide from whoever was Prey, and Nikki had eyesight that rivaled a hawk's; and she was merciless, too. There were no allies other than Ered, only obstacles to get rid of. They dominated at this game, and the fervor and passion to prove herself to Ered was visible in Nikki's eyes.

 

And that is where it began to go downhill.

 

Challenge after challenge, Nikki made sure she and Ered won, no matter the cost. During rock climbing, she kicked off other players with glee and pulled Ered up herself, who hung lazily next to her as she tauntingly smirked at the other campers. She sabotaged other campers’ projects during the shelter contest, stealing wood and kicking down whatever was left and built the entire project herself. She showed no mercy, having only one goal in mind: impress Ered. Max swore under his breath as Ered patted Nikki’s head like a dog. Nikki looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes, and he felt sick to his stomach as Ered continued to encourage her destructive behavior, Nikki never doubting her once.

 

Max panted next to a huffing Neil during the relay race, struggling to finish their section as Nikki and Ered passed them up easily. They watched as Nikki sprinted ahead eagerly like a sled dog, the rope that was once tied around their legs now fastened around her waist and Ered's.

 

“Nikki, are you--are you fucking serious?” Max panted out. Nikki flashed him a grin and stuck her tongue out at them.

 

“Hope you're hungry, Max, 'cause you're gonna be eating our dust!”

 

“Yeah, Nikki, you go!” Ered cheered.

 

Nikki howled in reply and sped ahead with a rejuvenated passion, causing both her friends to slow down to a walk.

 

“I can't believe her gay ass ditched us again!” Neil exclaimed, kicking a rock from the forest floor. “You'd think she'd know by now to look for non-shitty girls to hit on!”

 

“We've gotta make her see Ered for the huge manipulative asshole she is,” Max said, slamming a fist into his hand. “I can't let her keep getting used like this.”

 

Neil looked at him with a raised eyebrow, doing his best to keep himself from smiling.

 

“Wow, that's pretty sweet of you, Max.”

 

“Fuck, I mean-Like, us-we just need to keep her from like killing herself for her or some psycho bullshit!” Max spluttered in an effort to correct himself.

 

“God, it's okay to have feelings, Max. You should show them every once in awhile and stop repressing them, or else you're going to explode. Not literally, fortunately, even though scientifically speaking, you have a 99% chance of of a having a mental breakdown and maybe killing someone by the end of the summer.”

 

“Fuck you,” Max snapped, pushing Neil in the shoulder.

 

“Alright, another win for the Cool Girlz!” David cheered, having fun with the accented "Z" as Nikki brought the baton she now held in her mouth to the finish line. He gave Nikki a high-five and a thumbs up to Ered, and turned to the rest of the campers, who were all out of breath and tired.

 

“Alright, kids, time for our final, heavily anticipated...” David said, stepping back with arms outstretched to reveal a masterfully made obstacle course, complete with hurdles, a horizontal rope, tunnels, and rope climbing. “Obstacle course!”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, back the fuck up,” Max said, holding up his hands. David frowned, ready to berate him for swearing, but Max continued on. “How the hell have you managed to make mediocre, non-shitty activities all day? This course looks like it actually might not kill us, which is both impressive and concerning.”

 

David laughed awkwardly, poking his forefingers together.

 

“Well, after our ex-counselor David had to leave, we still had some extra funds left over, so-”

 

“So instead of giving us running water and toilets and shit, you bought an extreme playground we're probably only going to use once?”

 

“Yep!” David confirmed with a smile. Max slapped a hand onto his face as David continued to explain the course. “Alright guys, gals, and all my camper pals, this is how we’ll do it: jump the hurdles, climb the rope, make it through the tunnel maze, and climb up that winner's rope to make it to the top, and declare yourself a winner! Now go and have some good ol’ fashioned fun!”

 

As soon as he finished the last word, Nikki and Ered sped off, jumping over the hurdles with ease as the other campers struggled to make it over their first obstacle.

 

“So, what’s the plan?” Neil asked as they sat on the grass in front of the start line, much to David’s displeasure. Max shrugged.

 

“Honestly, I just planned on yelling at Nikki about how much of an asshole Ered is.”

 

Neil groaned in frustration. “Like _that’s_ going to work. She’s so dead set on this image of Ered being her perfect, never-failing future girlfriend, the only way she’ll ever see Ered as anything else is if she does something absolutely cruel to her once she decides she doesn’t need her anymore.”

 

The two boys looked at the grass in contemplation, processing what was just said until a terrible realization dawned on them.

 

“Oh fuck, she’s going to break Nikki’s heart.”

 

“What do we do?” Neil exclaimed, grabbing his hair anxiously. “The last thing I need is a depressed Nikki; she’s the only one who actually enjoys being around here, how is this place going to be bearable?”

 

“We should just fucking get her!” Max shouted, standing up to his feet and running towards the tunnels as the girls made their way inside them. Neil chased after, panic in both their eyes as they hoped to keep their friend from the crushing disappointment to come.

 

Nikki allowed Ered to lead inside the tunnels, which reminded her of a woodsy version of a fast food restaurant playground. Their movements echoed slightly inside, but she knew no one could hear them, since everyone was still attempting to tackle the hurdles.

 

“Let’s just chill here for a bit, dude, turtle and the hare style,” Ered whispered conspiratorially, once they reached the end of the maze. She winked at Nikki and smiled, making her flush and pull at one of her pigtails.

 

“U-uh, yeah, okay, sure,” Nikki said as they settled against the curve of a tunnel. She rested an inch too close to Ered, and felt her heart beating like a hummingbird’s, flighty and fast, and she bit her lip in attempt to calm herself down.

 

“Thanks for all your help, Nik,” Ered said quietly. Nikki perked up at the nickname, and even though she was used to hearing it from Max, it made her feel like an entire new being from Ered. “You’re not too bad, for a weirdo.”

 

Max and Neil walked by the side of the tunnels, when Neil hushed Max and pointed at the side of the last tunnel and put his ear to the wall of it. Max followed his example, and both fell completely silent as they listened in.

 

“Yeah, you know it!” Nikki laughed nervously, her laughter a bit too forced. Her leg bounced hurriedly as she tapped her finger on it, and she gripped her knee in attempt to stop it, which did not indeed stop it. “I’m the best weirdo there is!”

 

“Sure, dude; but don’t worry, I know the perfect way to repay you for all the work and junk you've put in for us today,” Ered said, turning to Nikki with a lazy smile. Nikki squeaked at the sudden closeness between them, and suddenly realized what Ered could be insinuating.

 

“Shit, I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing,” Max whispered. Neil just shrugged helplessly, and put a finger to his lips.

 

Nikki closed her eyes and leaned into Ered, her stomach full of butterflies and her hands shaking. Her mouth began to curl to a smile, and all she was capable of thinking was, _“I can’t believe this is happening! I can’t believe this is happening!”_

 

Max held his breath as the girls fell silent, and Neil chewed on his fingernails. His stomach was filled with knots at the possibility that this would go horribly, horribly wrong.

 

 _“_ I can’t believe Nikki’s gonna get a girlfriend before we are,” Max whispered in attempt to comfort Neil. Neil snorted lightly.

 

“I guess that just because we’re shit at talking to girls, doesn’t mean Nikki doesn’t stand a chance, right? She’ll probably be okay,” He whispered back with a forced smile.

 

“Whoa, what the _hell?_ ” Ered shrieked, instinctively pushing Nikki’s face back.

 

 _“Fuck,”_ Max and Neil whispered in horror as they pressed themselves tighter the the tunnel wall.

 

Nikki’s smile dropped, the butterflies in her stomach melting into a pool of dread that weighed down at the pit of her stomach.

 

“I-You were-?” Nikki whispered, her voice thick with disappointment.

 

“I-I don’t swing that way! I'm not _desperate!_ ” Ered stammered out, her voice nervous.

 

Nikki watched in painful silence as Ered untied the rope they had moved to their wrists and scooted away from her.

 

“Don’t touch me, you-you _perv_ . I knew you were this dumb kid and all, but like, I-I didn’t think you be some lesbo! I don’t even know why you’d think _I_ was one, b-because I’m _so_ not!”

 

She looked around her surroundings frantically and glanced out the end of the tunnel, flashing her eyes to Nikki and immediately back out. She grimaced, and closed her eyes with a sigh, flipping her bangs back. Ered pushed herself out of the tunnel with a huff, forcing Neil and Max to crouch quickly in attempt to stay concealed. Nikki stumbled out of the tunnel, her back unknowingly to her best friends.

 

“E-Ered, I’m sorry, I-!” Nikki shouted out to her, before balling her fists at her side and sprinting away from the tunnels and past the ropes, disappearing into the woods.

 

Max and Neil stood up in horror, uncaring of being seen as they strained to see their friend sit on the forest floor, drawing her knees up to her chest as her body shook. She made no noise, but she was rigid as her body trembled over and over.

 

Nikki was crying.

 

“Oh, _fuck no!”_ Max and Neil shouted. Neil jumped over the tunnel in the most acrobatic feat Max had ever seen him accomplish, and Max followed suit as they ran towards Ered, sprinting past the ladder and hurdles to stop her just before she reached the rest of the campers. Neil grabbed her arm and turned her around with a huff.

 

Ered looked at the two in slight worry.

 

“Uh, what do you weirdos want?”

 

“What the _fuck_ is your problem, asshole!” Max shouted, leaning into Ered’s face. She stepped back in surprise, only to be pushed even further by Neil. Everyone stood in shocked silence as the scene in front of them unfolded.

 

“What makes you think your snobby, fake-punk ass can just destroy the heart of one the only good fucking people in this camp?” Neil shouted.

 

“You call _her_ desperate? What about you, the bitchy brat who never does jack shit and then calls herself “cool” every fucking opportunity she gets? You're not cool, _Meredith._ You're just like the rest of us; you're pathetic, scared of being irrelevant, and are gonna die someday and be forgotten!”

 

Nikki emerged from the woods, looking ahead in confusion and she saw her friends chewing Ered out. The other children ran towards her at the sight of her, and she blinked in bewilderment as they surrounded her in concern.

 

“And don't ever fucking _think_ of using Nikki again,” Neil growled, “Or so help me God I will take your shitty Walmart skateboard and shove it up your fucking v-!”

 

“Boys!” David shouted, running over and putting an arm across them to keep them from lunging at Ered. “Thank you for defending Nikki, but that's enough!”

 

“ _Yeah_ ,” Ered huffed. David turned to her with a scowl, which made everyone around them start in surprise at his uncharacteristic anger.

 

“Just hold on a minute, missy. You and I are going to have a talk about your behavior later.”

 

“Wh-why?” Ered scoffed. “I don't-I’m not the homo perv who was hitting on me!”

 

 _“Shut the fuck up!"_ Max shouted, lunging at Ered only to be stopped by a shocked David. The two boys continued to shout at her as the the other children did their best to comfort Nikki, though it involved a lot of failed physical feats (i.e. falling) to do so. It was chaos, to say the least.

 

At least, until Camp Campbell’s second favorite counselor pulled up, and made sure it was at least an organized chaos by the time nighttime rolled around.

~

 

Gwen sighed heavily, eyebrows raised as Nikki finished her account of the day. She set the final dish aside and turned to Nikki as she leaned back on the counter.

 

“Damn,” Gwen commented lamely, unsure of how to respond to the tale. Nikki sniffed and kicked her legs slightly.

 

“...I don't think Ered meant what she said,” she said quietly. “She sounded like she was trying to pretend she didn't like me--like she was scared of people knowing.”

 

“Or of realizing it was true,” Gwen added thoughtfully. Nikki's head snapped up in surprise.

 

“You think so?”

 

“Well, uh,” Gwen began, shifting awkwardly against the wooden counter, “Being gay isn't a walk in the park for everyone. Some people are lucky to have supportive friends and family, confidence and pride in who they are, and even love. Others...not so much. Their family can be blatantly homophobic, some lose friends over coming out, and some refuse to believe they're gay because they've convinced themselves it's _wrong_ to be.”

 

Nikki looked down at the ground shyly.

 

“It's _not_ wrong to be, right? Because the only people I’ve ever told about this was Max and Neil, because my mom is weird when it comes to this stuff, so I don’t know if that’s because it’s wrong, or-”

 

“Of course it’s not, Nikki,” Gwen assured her. Nikki’s shoulders relaxed in relief. She tapped her shoes together, and blew a strand of curly hair from her face.

 

“I have another question.”

 

Gwen crossed her arms. “Shoot.”

 

“Is it okay to call myself a lesbian if I don’t really-if I’m not sure if I _only_ like girls yet?”

 

“Yeah,” Gwen answered plainly. “Call yourself whatever you want. Labels are just labels. They can change, or stay the same; it’s all up to you.”

 

Nikki nodded, leaning back on the counter. She looked visibly relieved, which made Gwen feel a little better about the whole situation. She wasn’t a certified therapist, but at least she could help in her own, crappy way. “Hey, just so you know, Ered was still pretty shitty to say all that to you. I get that she’s probably internalized homophobia, but that doesn’t excuse what she said.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Nikki admitted. She quickly brushed it off and grinned widely, her eyes hopeful. “But she's a cool person; she'll come around!”

 

“Sure, kid,” Gwen agreed as she rolled her eyes. She pushed herself off the counter and pointed a thumb towards the mess hall doors. “Now get out and go to bed. That’s enough sappy bonding moments for the entire summer.”

 

Nikki laughed and jumped off the counter, using her momentum to suddenly pull Gwen into a hug. Gwen stood still, her arms held away from Nikki as she looked around frantically, unsure of what to do.

 

“Thanks, Gwen!” Nikki said gratefully, interrupting Gwen’s brief panic. “Even though Max and Neil say you're a loser college dropout and your degree is the most useless thing in the world next to homework, I think you're pretty smart!”

 

“Wha-!” Gwen began in offense, but looked down at a comforted Nikki and smiled, appreciatively the sickeningly sweet gesture. She simply sighed, patting her on the back.

 

“No problem.”

 

David screamed outside of the mess hall, his voice shrill yet muffled when it reached the two girls’ ears. Gwen groaned, pulling Nikki off her and gently tossing her onto the floor as if she were a clingy kitten. Nikki landed agilely and stood up, smiling manically.

 

“Just,” Gwen sighed, holding her forefingers to her temples. “Just make sure your asshole friends haven't murdered David yet. You and I both know we need him alive by the end of summer so we don't end up in jail.”

 

Nikki grinned mischievously and bounded towards the doors, slipping onto the wooden floor only to push herself back up with one arm. She pushed open both of the mess hall doors with a flourish, and turned around for a fraction of a second to shout back in glee,

 

“No promises!”

**Author's Note:**

> Nikki,,,,is, my, ruffian,,,, lesbian, da,ughter,,,,,
> 
> (Also protective!Max and Neil is the greatest thing ever????)
> 
> Please leave reviews! I love to be given attention, and though I'm not too sure about adding more, writing more future fan episodes would definitely be something I'd be encouraged to do if I was asked to:3
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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